Cache Server Updates/Youtube etc

[skywalkergr]

Hi all

Due to limitations that we have on our network total throughput we were considering alternatives.

Is anybody using a 3rd party solution for caching like cachebox(https://www.appliansys.com/cachebox/)? Or have a dedicated "homemade" linux server like squidproxy/cache?

Do you do this only for updates? Microsoft and apple? or for youtube videos as well?

Do elaborate on how you use it if you a device like this.

Kind Regards

Edited November 3, 2025 by skywalkergr

[Joeloman]

To be completely honest, I don't think a Proxy/cache is the solution for you.

 

For many years we have used Smoothwall Firewall with Web Filter proxy but as bandwidth has increased and websites that do not display/work correctly with proxy, it is now more just Smoothwall Cloud Filter that has been in effect for a couple of years.

 

Today it is not worth using a central Proxy

The number of files used in the cache decreased constantly as almost all pages today are created completely dynamically and often depend entirely on the user.

That is, completely different ad images and news feed are displayed based on the user.. We turned up the cache storage to accommodate more files but unfortunately it was not very often hit.

 

WSUS

My advice to you is to start using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

 

Change cache in Edge
I know that we previously also increased and turned on the cache in Internet Explorer, I don't know if it is possible with Edge, but it may be worth looking at.

 

Use 5G

I don't know what it's like with connections, but here in Sweden it's pretty cheap with 5G if you can't get more fiber and the speed is usually around 700-900 Mbit/s, but soon many operators will increase the speed.
Some people I know also use satellite, but it's pretty expensive and has pretty high latency.

[robyholmes]

My suggestion would be Microsoft Connected Cache rather than WSUS. As WSUS is now deprecated as of September 2024.

 

Microsoft Connected Cache can be run on a linux VM or even old PC (Thinking retired Windows 10 machine). It's basically a cache of Windows and Office updates, that you point machines to via Group Policy (Or Intune I suspect). They then use the Delivery Optimization system built into windows to get updates from the cache, rather than Microsoft directly.

 

Setup is a bit of a pain if you don't know linux to well, but it's documented and not to hard. Saved us a load of bandwidth on our network with around 98% of updates now done from the cache.

[Joeloman]

Quite right Microsoft Connected Cache can be a good newer alternative that is available both as an installation file for Windows but also for Linux.
However, I don't know if it is included in the Edu license.

 

As for WSUS was included in Server 2025, WSUS will work in a supported state until at LEAST 2035, so you have at least 10 years of use.

[robyholmes]

2 minutes ago, Joeloman said:

Quite right Microsoft Connected Cache can be a good newer alternative that is available both as an installation file for Windows but also for Linux.
However, I don't know if it is included in the Edu license.

 

As for WSUS was included in Server 2025, WSUS will work in a supported state until at LEAST 2035, so you have at least 10 years of use.

 

Can't remember off top of my head licence requirements. So yes check that.

 

It is supported on Windows, but runs in the Linux Subsystem of Windows (At least it did when I last looked). So made far more sense to me to run directly in Linux, than have the overhead of Windows (And maintenance of). Plus it'll run on lower resources and even on old W10 machine (Which are now collecting dust in many schools including ours).